Mountlake Terrace operates under the city manager system and always has, which is unusual given that it is an old city. In an email, Smith said she still believes in the strong mayor system of government as long as “a strong mayor can show extensive career and ability history in administrative/CEO expertise.”“A strong mayor manages the city,” she said. City manager/council (Mountlake Terrace)In this form of government, the city manager is a professional manager appointed by the council. The city manager is like a CEO appointed by a board to manage all aspects of the city. “A city manager is great if you have a great city manager,” said Maggie Fimia, a former member of the Shoreline City Council who also served on the King County Council.